Different Together
by SilverSnowflake9798
Summary: Damian and Raven find themselves debating the lots life has given them. As they do, they come to realize that while being so different, perhaps they are the only ones who truly understand each other. Can be seen as romantic or not, your choice.


**I thought Damian was 13 and I thought Raven was 14 at first. I could be right or wrong about ages, but this story is assuming that there's only a one year gap.**

That was it. If Damian had to hear Garfield scream one more time he was sure he would…

"Ah, yeah, let's all shake it at the club, mamma!"

He would snap.

Suffice to say, Damian was not invited to come with the rest of the Teen Titans to go to a club. Dick had made the rule as an attempt to punish him, but it took Damian a while to realize his intent. He thought he was rewarding him for finally shutting Beast Boy up. Normally Damian could…stand Beast Boy. But his careless attitude and absolutely infuriating volume had gotten on his nerves a number of times. That had just happened to be the night his patience had been wearing thin.

Late at night, Damian found himself alone in the Titans Tower because of this. Maybe the others had intended it to be a punishment, but the thought made Damian laugh. He relished in the freedom of having some time on his own that wasn't interrupted by one or two of his teammates. Yes, he had begun to get along with them and think of them as family. But that did NOT mean he was accustomed to the way they acted.

Beast boy was loud, rash, obsessed with fame and the opinions of others.

Jaime was a show off, a sore loser and kept pictures of a girl who 'wasn't his girlfriend' next to his computer.

Kori was eternally optimistic, not the sharpest tool in the box and would trust a serial killer if one came to their door.

Terra was rude, called everything she didn't like 'lame' and hated everyone just for the sake of looking cool.

Richard was sarcastic, always wanted everyone to get along and found something wrong with everything Damian did.

After some time, he definitely needed his space.

Once the others were gone Damian made his way towards the training area to get some solo training without interruption. The day had been long and trifling with the constant rain and lightning. Even at the moment there was nothing but rain and thunder that boomed through the building. Everyone had been forced to stay inside, and for people like Starfire and beast boy who loved the sun the change in weather was not appreciated. By the end of the day they had decided getting a night out would be worth any amount of rain. Damian was glad to be getting some release after a long day.

And slicing through the bodies of computer generated soldiers was the perfect stress release.

"Hyah!" Damian yelled as he sliced through the midriff of an enemy. Instantly the enemy was reduced to green codes and fell back to the training grounds. Damian watched as his last enemy descended back to the computer, leaving him alone. The only thing he hated about the training center was that you had to reset the program every time you defeated it. He'd rather it go on a continuous loop so he would not be interrupted.

Speaking of interruptions, as he headed over to the control board, he was startled to see the door sliding open.

Instinctively he rushed to the door. With his trusted sword in one hand he swung at the stranger, stopping just short where there neck would be. "Who are you and why are you here?" Damian snarled, his voice threatening enough to make a grown man cry and scream in fear.

Yet the stranger was no grown man. And she was not afraid of Damian, even if he was at his worst. "It's just me and I think that should be obvious."

Damian blinked. "Raven? You're still here?"

"I am," Raven replied. "And I would like to remain on this earth, if you don't mind." She glanced at the sword before Damian slowly pulled away. It had been hanging at the point of her forehead, the proper angle for a grown man but not to aim at the neck of a teenage girl barely taller than him. Raven waited until he had sheathed his sword before asking, "If it wasn't me, would you have killed the intruder just now?" Damian cringed at the question, but when Raven asked there was no judgment in her voice. Almost a smile curiosity.

"It was simply a threat. I had assumed someone had broken into the tower. I had THOUGHT no one else was here." Damian emphasized the word 'thought' for obvious reasons.

"Did you really think I would willingly go to a club with loud music, sweaty people dancing and no personal space?" Raven shook her head, pretending to be disappointed. "For someone who treats knowledge as power, you certainly don't know much about me." Damian's eyes narrowed at her. Raven was prone to the occasional teasing or, more often, sarcasm. Sarcasm was both his favourite and most hated form of humor. Raven must have known this, but she ignored him to glance at the scratch marks and damage Damian had done to the battle grounds. "Are you training?"

"Of course. Were you planning to train?"

"I was thinking of doing some meditating, but not before I get some tea. I just came over to see what the noise was." She gave Damian a quick once over and Damian got the distinct impression she was sensing more than what was just on the surface. "You might want to come. You can't go training so long without at least a water break."

"I'm not,"

"Just because you can handle it doesn't mean you should," Raven added. "Water is a necessity just as much as breaking your enemy's bones is for you." Again Damian scowled. But he couldn't argue with the logic behind her words. He'd forgotten to get himself some water and he hadn't take a break in the last few hours. Raven must have been able to sense the exhaustion behind his mask of indifference. He was certainly not happy with how easy she was able to read him. It was a disadvantage if they ever had to face each other in battle.

But either way, she wasn't wrong.

Without a word Damian slipped past her and headed to the kitchen. Raven wordlessly followed him from behind. Damian was acutely aware of Raven following behind him, disturbing what was supposed to be his night of peace and solitude. He was surprised to find that he wasn't actually that disappointed. As a matter of fact, he was relieved it was her and not someone else.

Raven was hard to read, often had a terrible sense of judgment and was very blunt with her opinions on others. However, these flaws among her others Damian found less annoying than others.

The two arrived to a, thankfully, deserted kitchen. Damian flicked the lights on while Raven made her way to the kettle. Across from the kitchen the large windows revealed the pounding rain and the occasional flash of lightening. For a time the only sound was the rain hammering on the walls as if creating its own music. He watched as she pulled out her favourite tea and started the preparation. He didn't realize he was staring until Raven looked up to catch his gaze. "I'm making some extra, if you would like some."

After coming back to reality, Damian shook his head. "That tea is a relaxant. I need to be alert for training."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You do too much physical training. You need to train your mind and emotions if you want to be healthy." Damian scoffed. Not only because he didn't believe her, but because of the shear hypocrisy of her statement.

"Well perhaps you should train physically more, since most of your training consists of meditating."

If that was supposed to change her mind, it did no good. "I'm an empath. I need to be in control of my emotions or my powers will overwhelm me."

"I'm a warrior," Damian countered. "I need to be in top physical condition so I'm prepared for an attack at any moment."

"Touché," Raven agreed, though Damian doubted she actually agreed with him. Despite his arguments when the tea was done she held out a second cup for Damian to take. "Tea?" Damian scowled at the offending cup, already seeing his plans for a solo evening vanishing before his eyes.

On the other hand, he couldn't deny his body screaming at him to take a break.

While grumbling Damian took the tea offered to him. At least Raven wasn't the kind of person to hold an accomplishment over him. Instead she simply took her tea and rested her elbows on the counter while Damian took the stool across from her. He sipped the tea to test the heat. He drew back instantly when the tea scalded his tongue and placed it back on the counter. He'd have to wait for it to cool, which he did not appreciate. That meant less time for training. Raven noticed Damian scowling at his drink and assumed it was still too hot to drink. When she slipped hers to the side however Damian wondered if she'd given him the drink as a test subject instead of an act of kindness. "So why didn't you go with everyone else?"

Damian had to stop himself from scoffing at Raven's attempt at starting a conversation. Mostly because Raven didn't start conversations. It picked his interest that she would start one, since normally the two of them would sit in comfortable silence. "You think I'd want to go to a club any more than you? Now look who needs to get more information."

"I thought you would go insane before you even stepped through the doorway, but I thought Grayson would have made you at least give it a shot before you bailed." Dick had tried a number of different attempts at socializing Damian. All of which Damian had laughed at before walking away.

"Apparently I'm being punished for bad behaviour," he told her. Raven tilted her head to the side as if remembering something.

"I saw the others before they left. I take it you were the one who knocked Garfield's tooth out?"

"It will grow back," Damian replied, unconcerned. "Sharks and Alligators have the ability to regenerate teeth. He can just transform into one of them for a while."

"Perhaps, but it may take a while for Beast Boy to realize that," Raven countered with a raised eyebrow.

"That's not my fault." Damian insisted. "He should study his animals more."

"I'd be impressed if Garfield studied anything beyond a twitter account," Raven smirked. Damian gave a small nod of acknowledgment before trying for his tea again. The two sat in relative silence for a few moments. It could be considered awkward, but both were so used to silence Damian took it as normal. He was surprised once again when Raven interrupted the silence. "How is the training going?"

With a raise of his eyebrow he answered. "Fine."

"Which program have you been running?"

"Program five."

"Ah….Has it been going well?"

"…Yes."

"Good."

Silence.

"…Did you enjoy punching Garfield in the face?"

"…I suppose?"

"It wasn't a trick question Damian."

"I'm starting to wonder," Damian grumbled. Before Raven could start again Damian asked, "What are you doing?"

His companion blinked back in surprise. "Talking to you, I assumed."

Damian tilted his head to the side. "Why?"

"Because…I wanted to?" At this point Raven was fidgeting nervously with the edges of her cape. Damian couldn't miss this fact even if he wanted to. Not only because of his natural skills of detection, but there was also the fact that Raven never fidgeted. Ever.

At this point Damian couldn't curb his interest if he tried. "Again, why?" He leaned forward, folding his elbows on the counter in front of him. Raven hesitated, eyes barely flickering to a crash of lightening that draped the room with an unnatural light temporarily. Damian instinctively felt himself go on edge when Raven was nervous. He couldn't say she was never nervous, but she never showed it.

"Because we never get the chance to talk."

He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "So? You hardly talk to anyone anyway."

"Yes, but I enjoy talking to you."

Damian started at her answer. Both the honesty behind it and his own shock at the reply. "Why?" he coughed out automatically. Damian was starting to sound like a broken record at this point and he grimaced at the thought. Raven watched his startled reaction in silence. Only after his reaction did he realize that it was the wrong one. He could see a flicker of hurt in her eyes.

Before Damian could correct himself Raven's eyes had lowered to the tea. She'd started turning the cup in her hands, possibly for warmth, possibly out of habit. She stared at the tea that swirled in the cup while she answered. "I'm not good with people," Raven admitted, though it wasn't much of an admittance since they both knew everyone was certain that was the truth. "It is easier for me to speak with someone one on one." It wasn't difficult for Damian to understand. His favourite memories with those he cared about were when it was just the two of them, not a crowd. "I thought since there was no one else around it would be a good time to talk. But if you don't want to talk to me,"

"I didn't mean it like that," Damian assured her. He may have struggled with feeling empathy, but he could understand he shouldn't just take the opportunity to run back to the training grounds after offending her. Just yet, anyway. "I was just surprised. You don't talk to anyone. Much less me."

At that Raven looked up to meet his eyes. "Why not you?"

Damian raised an eyebrow, unsure if she was teasing him. "I'm not so challenged at understanding the ways people around here are to not be able to figure out that I do not fit in." His voice was casual, with only a hint of annoyance that was always there. If Raven wasn't an empath, she would have believed he really didn't care. Even while being one, it was difficult to sense that small bit of discomfort at the idea.

"That's true," Raven didn't bother denying it as she leaned further into the counter. "I suppose neither of us can relate to others our own age very well." Neither said anything for a moment, allowing the truth of that statement to sink in. Another bolt of lightning flickered in the sky but a word was not spoken until after the following thunder had passed by.

After the silence Damian spoke up to add, "That's hard to say when our only other sources are Beast Boy and Jaime." Raven smirked. She couldn't tell if Damian was trying to be funny or simply stating a fact, but either way it lightened the mood a little at least.

"According to Grayson Beast Boy is not only a very normal teenager, he would be very popular if he was at a regular school."

"Really?" Raven nodded. "How tragic."

"I weep for humanity," Raven agreed with a small smile. The moment of ease surely passed as her smile fell and she turned to stare at the rain outside. They could see the lights and buildings from the city across the water. Despite the weather there were bustling cars in the street and hundreds of lights shining, some in various different colours. Everyone was so lively. Everyone out there seemed to find no problem with the ways that life worked.

Only when she was deep in meditation would Raven allow herself to wish she found peace in the noise as other citizens did.

"Our lots in life are different than the others," Raven commented, more to herself than to Damian. But Damian listened regardless. He found it difficult not to pay attention when Raven was speaking. Her voice was mesmerizing, and every word was not given without careful thought. "Perhaps everyone has an equal amount of pain…We really can't say any life is worse than another but…they're all different." She looked back to the tea in her hands. More specifically her reflection staring back at her. Grey skin, unnaturally dark blue hair, blue eyes and of course, the red prison resting on her forehead.

"And being different is, in itself, its own form of pain."

Her head tilted up until her eyes were connected with Damian's. He stared right back at her, his green eyes alight with the same suffering in hers. Damian wasn't foolish enough to deny what she was saying. He'd never thought of his life as painful until he met his father. Until he started to see lives outside of his own. The life he could have had. The lives others wanted him to follow. And the destruction of the one that he had thought was right. And that with it all, the confusion and anguish Damian suffered, there was no one who could understand. No one who would help him simply because they didn't know how.

Being different means being alone.

And being alone is unbearably painful. Even for the grandson of the demon.

"But," Raven continued, a more peaceful edge to her voice when she spoke again. "I think that's why I find you the easiest to talk to."

That had to be the most absurd thing Damian had heard her say the whole evening. And she had tried to start a conversation about how Damian had punched Beast Boy in the face.

"…Why?" Yes, Damian was definitely sounding like a broken record. But at that point he really didn't care. He wanted an explanation to Raven's answer. He needed one. And, when she stared at him with her deep blue eyes, he realized there was some hope deep inside him when he waited for her reasoning. A hope he was surprised to not be ashamed of.

"Other than the fact that the both of us are naturally quiet people so that means we don't have to talk," Raven replied sarcastically, trying to bring a lighter note into the area again. Damian's face said that wasn't working and she gave a deep sigh. "Our stories may be different. But compared to others, I find I can relate to you the best."

"How?" Damian asked.

She shook her head as if she had too many thoughts and couldn't decide which ones needed to be explained. "We…Both have had a parent who betrayed and used us. Our other parent did-is doing-their best, but has struggles. Neither of us can relate to the people around us well. We both have been forced to grow up earlier than most our age, apparently." She added, not one hundred percent certain if this was true. "We both try to block everyone out. We both want to do it all on our own but…we really don't want that do we?" Damian said nothing. Instead he let the dark glow in his eyes do the talking for him. After a pause Raven finished, "and not to mention, we both have destinies following us wherever we go."

The rain outside was loud. It hammered again the glass, the lightning and thunder its echo throughout the city. Each crack of lightening was a reminder of the time passing. A reminder of the reality of her words. And a reminder that neither could avoid the truth of their lives forever. Damian stared at Raven while she stared back at him unashamed. Damian tried to contemplate the idea that Raven had been thinking about all of this while also realizing the truth behind it as well. Raven waited for him to come to his realization patiently, wondering herself whether he would accept their similarities or cast her opinions to the side.

Raven hoped he wouldn't. She was not afraid to hope that much.

"…You forget the differences in our stories," Damian finally broke through the silence. Raven's spirits dropped slightly, but she grasped them desperately before they could scurry away.

"What do you mean?"

"There are a lot of differences to our stories as well," Damian explained. "As we mentioned before, I am a warrior while you are an empath. I focus on strength of power while you focus on strength of the mind. You grew up in a place that focused on beauty while I grew up where I was taught to destroy. I use my emotions as fuel in battle while you need to suppress your emotions to remain in control. You knew your mother since birth and she died when you were ten. I met my father when I was ten and continue to know him. And while I have hundreds of voices at me shouting for me to pick one role or another, you've had one destiny your entire life that you've been running from for years.'

'But you are right," Damian felt the need to add. "We were both born to be used. Just in different ways."

Raven nodded. "One a weapon, one a doorway." A tense darkness loomed over the room as they contemplated their lives. The silence was interrupted by a soft laughter and Damian looked up quizzically. "Two birds of a feather, aren't we?"

Damian scoffed a humourless laugh. "What a miserable bird."

"I don't know. My life seems much easier to talk about when I talk about it with you."

Damian opened his mouth to ask the oh so original 'why', but his mouth snapped shut automatically. He didn't need to ask what he already knew. She was right. He despised talking about the shortcomings his life had offered him. It felt like he was pitying himself. It was a sign of weakness to him and he was not weak. But when he talked to Raven …Someone who may have not had the same issues, but certainly understood what he was feeling with it. It didn't feel like he was pitying himself or complaining when he was talking to her. Instead it felt like he was talking to another kindred soul. Someone who knew what he was going through, and for one of the first times…someone who cared.

Why did she care so much?

He wasn't sure.

But he was sure it was a welcome feeling.

"I'm surprised you are so willing to talk about this." Damian looked up again to meet Raven's eyes. She was studying him, apparently having moved on from their contemplation of their lives. "I was expecting you to leave the minute I said you were the easiest for me to talk to."

"Why-what made you think that?" He was done with asking why.

"Because…I was worried you didn't feel the same way. It's been a relief, you know?" Damian caught the small blush of embarrassment on Raven's cheeks when she admitted this. "I mean…when I first healed you, I could sense the basics of your story. As I got to know you, I didn't know your whole story but I could see…a lot of what you felt, I had. It was nice to have…someone that…"

"…Someone that made you feel like you were not alone." Raven looked up at him with a weak smile.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to push this on you,"

"No." Damian stopped her. "No, I…I understand." He had seen into her mind that day she had healed him. He had only focused on the great monster at the time. Take that all away though and he could see Raven's thoughts. Her sadness. Her loneliness. Her confusion and pride. The two of them liked to think of themselves as apart from humanity, yet everything about them was so human. "…Still, I never felt fear at my destiny as you did." Raven wasn't sure if he was teasing or being serious, but either way she smiled.

"Well, I never felt pride in my destiny like you had, but still."

"I'm glad."

It was Raven's turn to be confused. "What?"

Damian looked up, the tables of the conversation had turned so he was the one in control. "That we are different. You are celebrating that in our stories we are alike, but I am happy that while these stories are similar, they are different as well. It means it is still my story to deal with. Still my fate to manage but…along the way I still have…"

"You still have someone to help you in a different way," Raven concluded, slowly coming to the same conclusion. "Because my story is similar but different. Which means there are different ways we can help each other. Still an individual but with another to stand by you."

Her companion nodded, both ignoring the tea that had cooled at this point. "And you said being different made you feel lonely," he added with a smirk.

"It did. But it's nice to be different together." The great assassin and son of Batman could not think of a reply. So he nodded instead.

They weren't sure how the next conversation started. They just knew that someone, the two of them had started talking. Looking back they couldn't remember for the life of them what they talked about next. They just remembered that they talked. And talked. And talked. They talked as if they never had before and never would again. Because finally, it felt like someone was listening.

"It does bother me that you know so much about me," Damian had commented near the end of their conversation. "You can read me too easily. It's unsettling."

"I can read you easily?" Raven mused. "No…No Damian, I can't read you at all. You are to…complicated." She frowned, as if she was trying to sense his emotions right then. "I wish I could know more about you, but I only can scratch the surface. Your emotions are there. I can see the substance of your soul. And I know your story because, well, you and Grayson told us. But there is so much more I just cannot reach. I find that unsettling."

"I find it reassuring." Damian smirked. "At least I still have my secrets." Raven frowned again as lightening sliced through the air. As it did, it illuminated the jewel on her forehead. Damian tipped his head towards it and asked, "Does your father still yell at you?"

Raven shook her head, but there was weight behind it. "I've practiced channeling out his voice. It's only when I'm injured or when I allow it do I hear his voice. Most of the time I'm able to take the jewel off when I need to sleep." From his own experience of dreaming his mother and grandfathers orders while asleep, he doubted that just taking off the jewel would get her father's voice out of her head. "But I meditate," She continued. "Meditation is private. Even he can't get in my mind when I meditate. It's the perfect time to get some alone time." She paused to glance at the clock. "Speaking of alone time, I think I took up all of yours." He glanced over to see it was only a few minutes to midnight. The others would likely continue partying into the night, but Damian could only train for so long before he needed to sleep.

Damian got to his feet, his now cold tea forgotten on the counter. "I should go train."

Raven nodded politely. "Of course." She paused for a moment, unsure what to say next. "…Good talk."

The younger teenager raised an eyebrow. "…Okay." Damian turned away and headed towards the door. He heard Raven's footsteps as she headed the opposite direction towards the windows to mediate. It wasn't until Damian reached the door that he paused. "Raven?"

"Yes?" She turned back to him. What she found was a somewhat sheepish Damian trying to avoid looking sheepish. That was a new look for the ever so confident prince.

"I'm going back to training. If you want to…meditate in the training area while I am doing that…I would not object." Raven's eyes widened at the offer.

But in the end, she smiled. "I may take you up on that offer." Damian nodded, carefully not making eye contact. But before he could turn away Raven called, "Damian?"

"What?"

When he turned to face her again, there was a smile on her face. A smile so kind, so uncharacteristically Raven that Damian couldn't help but stare. "You may not be happy that you were brought here. But I am." She turned away again to start her mediation. Damian watched her move, wordlessly observing her as she started to meditate, probably over their discussion.

And he realized that perhaps, he was happy he was brought there to.

 **Man my stories can be really cheesy. Oh well, enjoy cheesy fluff.**


End file.
